cannabisnews.com: UN Watchdog Says Drug Sales Booming in Cyberspace 





UN Watchdog Says Drug Sales Booming in Cyberspace 
Posted by FoM on February 27, 2002 at 08:34:20 PT
By Louis Charbonneau 
Source: Reuters
The United Nations narcotics watchdog said on Wednesday the use of the Internet and other new technologies by drug traffickers was complicating the struggle against the illegal drug trade and narcotics abuse. In its 2001 annual report, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) said that narcotics were being sold over the Internet, often with the aid of private chat rooms protected by firewalls impenetrable to law enforcers. 
There were also jurisdictional problems created by cross-border criminal activity in cyberspace, exacerbated by the failure of some countries to adopt legislation on cybercrime. "The INCB is particularly concerned that countries without adequate legislation against crime involving new technologies may become sanctuaries," the board said in the report. Examples of cyber drug sales included reports from the Czech Republic that narcotics purchases were agreed online at Internet cafes or via mobile phones. Dutch companies were using the web to sell cannabis seeds and derivatives around the world. "The INCB is particularly concerned that young people are at risk from drug dealers in cyberspace using the Internet." The report said drug traffickers were using Internet banking to launder drug money, while online pharmacies were making prescription-only drugs readily available. The INCB said it was worried by the increase in intravenous heroin use in Africa, which it believed would abet the spread of HIV/AIDS infection on the continent. In South Africa alone, intravenous heroin use had increased 40 percent over the last three years. In North America, cocaine abuse appeared to be stabilizing, although heroin abuse among young people was on the rise. After Afghanistan's former Taliban government banned the cultivation of opium in 2000, Myanmar became the world's top illicit opium producer last year. A prolonged drought also reduced Afghanistan's 2001 opium output, the report said. The board said Afghanistan was still a key country in the global opium trade and that after the war large quantities of opiates were released from illicit stocks. Throughout all of South Asia, heroin abuse is increasing, it said, and there had been a definite shift away from smoking and inhaling the drug toward injecting it. Heroin abuse was an increasing problem in central and eastern Europe, which remained a popular transit zone for drug traffickers. Intravenous heroin abuse was contributing to a rise in HIV and Hepatitis C infections in the region. The board also urged countries to resist increasing calls for the legalization of cannabis, saying it would be a "historical mistake" to treat it like alcohol or tobacco. Source: ReutersAuthor: Louis Charbonneau Published: February 27, 2002Copyright: 2002 Reuters UnlimitedRelated Articles:Cannabis Dealers Trade On Internethttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread4848.shtmlPolice Say They are Powerless to Halt Seed Sales http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread4828.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by isobar2000 on February 27, 2002 at 20:19:09 PT
STOP THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like others has posted, this is just the first step. The government will start to invade yet another personal area of your life. It is time for us to just say "no". If that don't work then start yelling "NO", make them understand that enough is enough.
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Comment #5 posted by Dan B on February 27, 2002 at 11:05:29 PT:
Sen. Paul Wellstone, MN
P4me, the senator you are referring to is Paul wellstone of Minnesota (D). He was the principal voice against Plan Colombia when it was being debated in the senate, and he has been diagnosed with a "mild" form of MS (he walks with a limp because of it, but it seems localized to one leg).I would bet that this particular senator is well aware of the virtues of using cannabis as medicine, being that he hails from Jesse Ventura country. Still, it would be interesting to hear his views on the matter. My guess is that he would lean toward medical use, but he is likely in the closet on the matter.As to the article at hand, E_Johnson is absolutely correct; the UN has been looking for an excuse to censor the Internet, and I would bet you dollars to donuts that they will now try to use the drug users=terrorist supporters equation to do it. Remember this, too: With Bush in power (and Clinton before him, and Bush I before him, and so on back to Carter), the US doesn't influence the UN so much as the US being in sync with the UN agenda. Its all part of the same totalitarian mindset.Dan B
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Comment #4 posted by p4me on February 27, 2002 at 09:57:46 PT
sad isn't it
The board also urged countries to resist increasing calls for the legalization of cannabis, saying it would be a  "historical mistake" to treat it like alcohol or tobacco.Who is telling these people what to say and do they think this weak plea is going to keep Europe from addressing its drug abuse problems. I have no idea what is meant by historical mistake although I recognize the historical mistake that the US narcoimperialism has been with MJ laws.
And to link our herbal remedy to alcohol and tobacco is insulting- not that the prohibitionist care about the people's pain and suffering caused by these tyrannical laws.Don't the people at the UN know anything either? Has anyone written "marijuana is medicine" yet on there dollar bills? Over at MJ.com Panama says that writing on a bill is not illegal. You cannot damage it or alter a 1 into a 20, but he says you can write on them as long as you do not render them useless. He did it once before. Everyone has to do what they can to break through the wall. I would request anyone to comment on the senator from Michigan? that is running for a third term that has come down with MS.Answer this political candidate: How many times more harmful are the marijuana laws than marijuana as a substance?VAAI
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Comment #3 posted by potpal on February 27, 2002 at 09:24:34 PT
Indeed!
http://www.phototron.comGet yours today...I had one for 6 years until an errant alarm system called in a fire that wasn't. Firemen forced entry, let in the police and I went to the pokey. Lesson learned: get rid of the alarm system! The tron works like a charm.Free the weed.
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Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on February 27, 2002 at 09:12:58 PT
The UN is planning to censor the Internet
Pino Arlacchi said this in some speech or diatribe two years ago.This is a serious plan they have, and this is just the first step.Beware, now is the time to act.
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Comment #1 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 27, 2002 at 08:48:41 PT
Their logic, or lack of it
They continue to fight the moral fight after they fail again and again, not even a dog would repeat the same mistake twice. As long as there's a market product will always find a way to market. The only way is to regulate. 
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